Pages

November 12, 2015

Bellamy

Bellamy ~ Fair Friend ~ French

An intriguing choice from a French surname, Bellamy is a breath of fresh air that still affords the ultra-popular nickname Bella. It's feminine, darling, and contemporary, but it isn't without a history or a meaning.

History
Pronounced BELL-ə-mee, this name comes from the Old French bel, meaning fair or beautiful, and amy, meaning friend.

Bellamy weaves a web connecting names like Isabel, Bella, Belle, Amy, Amity, and even Amelie. But while Bellamy is part of a group of names that are popular and classic, it is far from either category.

Bellamy is a surname first and foremost. There's "Black Sam" Bellamy, an English pirate mentioned in my list of names for pirates and mermaids; Francis Bellamy, the author of the Pledge of Allegiance; or the Golden Age actor Ralph Bellamy to serve as some prime examples. Between our love of surnames and the fashionable sound of this name, you would think that Bellamy would be doing modestly well in America. (Keep reading.)

Popularity
Despite its trendy sound, Bellamy isn't in the top 1,000 names for girls yet. It's quietly rising in smaller numbers, thanks to a few namesakes that are giving this name its due. There were 103 girls given this name in 2014.